USA Rugby Men’s National Team vs Scotland

The 18th-ranked USA Men’s Rugby National Team will face 6th-ranked Scotland on July 12 at Audi Field at 6:30 pm ET in Washington, D.C. The USA entered the match after a 22-20 loss to Romania to begin the Summer Series, while Scotland had a 73-12 win over Canada.

Head Coach Scott Lawrence has made nine changes since last week’s narrow loss to Romania, including six in the starters. Starter changes include props Jack Iscaro and David Ainu’u, Vili Helu at lock, and Paddy Ryan at openside flanker with Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz switching from openside flanker to eightman. In the backs, Conner Mooneyham will make his debut at wing with the injury to Christian Dyer. Luke Carty starts at fullback.

New additions to the reserves are hooker Kapeli Pifeleti, lock Saia Uhila, and scrumhalf Ethan McVeigh, the latter two who will be making their Eagles debut when they enter the match.

Head Coach Gregor Townsend has swapped his entire starters from last Saturday’s win over Canada. He also has two new additions to the reserves with hooker Robbie Smith and back Ross Thompson. All other reserves started against Canada.

Jamie Ritchie will win a 50th Scotland cap in this Friday’s Skyscanner Americas tour match against the USA at Audi Field in Washington D.C. The flanker is named as vice-captain of a squad led by Rory Darge and Sione Tuipulotu.

The all-new front row consists of Pierre Schoeman at loosehead prop, Ewan Ashman at hooker, and Murphy Walker, at tighthead. Alex Craig, who will earn a first cap in three years, joins Scott Cummings at lock. The back row features Jamie Richie at blindside flanker with Luke Crosbie at openside and Matt Fagerson the eightman.

The halfbacks are an experienced pairing of George Horne and Adam Hastings and another in the centers with Sione Tuipulotu Huw Jones. Hastings returns to international action having last represented Scotland against Fiji in 2022.

The back three has a try-scorer winger against Canada Kyle Steyn named as vice-captain, with Kyle Rowe stepping in at full-back. Duhan van der Merwe, who is one shy of equalling the national men’s record for tries scored, is the other wing.

USA: 1. Jack Iscaro (6) 2. Dylan Fawsitt (28) 3. David Ainu’u (22) 4. Vili Helu (6) 5. Greg Peterson (C, 43) 6. Sam Golla (6) 7. Paddy Ryan (7) 8. Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (10) 9. JP Smith (1 10. AJ MacGinty (36) 11. Nate Augspurger (42) 12. Tommaso Boni (5) 13. Tavite Lopeti (13) 14. Conner Mooneyham (Debut) 15. Luke Carty (17) 16. Kapeli Pifeleti (10) 17. Jake Turnbull (6) 18. Paul Mullen (35) 19. Saia Uhila (Debut) 20. Ben Bonasso (5) 21. Ethan McVeigh (Debut) 22. Bryce Campbell (45) 23. Mitch Wilson (7)

Scotland: 1. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (31) 2. Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (17) 3. Murphy Walker – Glasgow Warriors (3) 4. Alex Craig ­– Scarlets (2) 5. Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (38) 6. Jamie Ritchie – Vice-Captain – Edinburgh Rugby (49) 7. Rory Darge – Co-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (19) 8. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (45) 9. George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (30) 10.Adam Hastings – Glasgow Warriors (27) 11. Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby (39) 12. Sione Tuipulotu – Co-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (25) 13.Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (48) 14. Kyle Steyn – Vice-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (20)15. Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (4) 16. Robbie Smith – Northampton Saints (1) 17. Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (31)18. Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (4)19. Max Williamson – Glasgow Warriors (1)20. Luke Crosbie – Edinburgh Rugby (9)21. Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (3) 22. Ross Thompson – Edinburgh Rugby (4) 23. Matt Currie – Edinburgh Rugby (1)

PROP: Jack Iscaro (LH) Old Glory DC 6, Alex Maughan (LH/TH) Los Angeles 3 (injury), Paul Mullen (TH) Utah Warriors 33, Nathan Sylvia (LH/TH) San Diego Legion 4, Jake Turnbull (LH) Anthem 5, Kaleb Geiger (TH) New England Free Jacks 3

HOOKER: Dylan Fawsitt, Chicago Hounds 27, Kapeli Pifeleti, Saracens (UK) 11, Sosene-Feagai, MikeAgen (FR) 9

SECOND ROW Cam Dolan, NOLA Gold 67 (injury), Sam Golla, Dallas Jackals 5 (L/BR), Greg Peterson, San Diego Legion, 42, captain, Renger van Eerten, Brive (FR) non-cap, Saia Uhila (Utah Warriors)

BACK ROW: Ben Bonasso (FL/N8) Miami Sharks 5, Jason Damm (N8/L )RFC Los Angeles 2 (injury), Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, Jamason (FL/N8) Old Glory DC 8, Paddy Ryan, (FL) San Diego Legion 5, Thomas Tu’avao (FL/N8) Utah Warriors 5, Vili Helu (FL) San Diego Legion 5

SCRUMHALF: Ruben de Haas, Cheetahs (SA) 31, JP Smith, Seattle Seawolves– non-cap, Ethan McVeigh, Old Glory DC (debut), Connor Buckley, Old Glory DC (debut)

FLYHALF/FULLBACK: Luke Carty, Chicago Hounds 14, Steffan Crimp, Anthem –non-cap, AJ MacGinty, Bristol Bears (UK) 35

Scotland Team Head Coach Gregor Townsend’s squad for their four-test summer tour of the Americas will include some players in their player rotation and a number that may feature in the future.

Notable names include forwards Pierre Schoeman, Scott Cummings, Jamie Ritchie, and Rory Darge and backs Huw Jones, Duhan van Der Merwe, and Sione Tuipulotu.

Forwards:Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers) uncapped, Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped, Elliot Millar-Mills (Northampton Saints) 3 caps, Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps, Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 31 caps, Rory Sutherland (Oyonnax Rugby) 30 caps, Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors) 3 capsEwan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby) 17 caps, Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh Rugby) debut, Dylan Richardson (The Sharks) 1 cap, Robbie Smith (Northampton Saints) uncappedAlex Craig (Scarlets) 2 caps, Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax Rugby) uncapped, Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 38 caps, Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped, Glen Young (Edinburgh Rugby) 3 capsGregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped, Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) 5 caps, Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps, Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 19 caps, Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 44 caps, Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) 49 caps.

Backs:Gus Warr (Sale Sharks) uncapped, Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps, George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 30 capsAdam Hastings (Gloucester Rugby) 26 caps, Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby) 5 caps, Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) 3 capsMatt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped, Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 48 caps, Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps, Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 25 capsKyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 19 caps, Arron Reed (Sale Sharks) debut, Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 39 capsKyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps, Harry Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby) 1 cap

During the last two weeks of the tour, three development players will join the squad as a learning opportunity and to bolster training. Tighthead prop Fin Richardson, who has signed for Glasgow Warriors next season, will be joined by his new teammate, scrum-half Ben Afshar. Edinburgh Rugby lock Rob Carmichael will also be added to the group for the final two weeks.

Development players:Fin Richardson (Exeter Chiefs) uncapped, Rob Carmichael (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped, Ben Afshar (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped

Summer Tour Fixture ListSaturday 6 July: Canada v Scotland, TD Place, Ottawa, kick-off: 10 pm UK time, 5 pm local timeFriday 12 July: USA v Scotland, Audi Field, Washington DC, kick-off: 11.30 pm UK time, 6.30 pm local timeSaturday 20 July: Chile v Scotland, Estadio Nacional, Santiago, kick-off: 8 pm UK time. 3 pm local timeSaturday 27 July: Uruguay v Scotland, Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, kick-off: 8 pm UK time, 4 pm local time